Another Chair? No, Not Really…

Before you accuse me of being a tad too fond of a certain seat-like piece of furniture, let me explain. This chair isn’t exactly that, and although it looks and acts like one, I swear”¦it’s not really a chair.

At least I wouldn’t want to sit on it. Ouch.

Tokujin Yoshioka, the designer of Venus – natural crystal chair, probably doesn’t want me to, either. Rather, he’d like us to think about it – along with its relationship to technology, design and the power of nature.

As part of an exhibition in Japan that he directed, Yoshioka “grew” his Venus natural crystal chairs in large aquariums filled with a mineral solution and the vibrations of classical music that he played directly into the tanks.

Natural yet manipulated by music and man, Venus -¦makes its appearance over time as if the goddess herself gradually emerges from water. This [chair], which is formed using the laws of nature and embodies a beauty born of coincidence, pushes the boundaries of creativity.”

The words of the artist are as beautiful as his work. He definitely has me thinking – I hope he has you thinking too.

Yoshioka is a 40-year old Japanese conceptual artist/designer extraordinaire who pushes the envelope of anything he gets his hands on. His installations have won awards. He has collaborated with big name designers. Newsweek selected him as one of “100 Japanese respected by the world”. See more of what he does at his website.